Brooklyn LIU faculty locked out in contract dispute

Administrators have locked out faculty at Brooklyn's Long Island University campus in a dispute over a new contract.

Brooklyn faculty members say they're being paid less than their colleagues at the Nassau County campus. Administrators say the new contract proposal is more than fair.

As a negotiating tactic Saturday, the administration locked out faculty ahead of fall classes, which begin Wednesday. The lockout blocks professors from teaching or accessing their health care benefits.

The school is promising well-qualified substitutes, but students say the dispute will upend the start of their semester. They say that's unacceptable alongside the cost of their tuition. They pay around $1,000 per credit.

Students say they plan to protest in support of faculty Wednesday ahead of the resumption of negotiations later this week.